


The Martian Cockroach

by Spazzcat



Category: The Martian (2015), The Martian - All Media Types, The Martian - Andy Weir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-14
Packaged: 2018-05-06 15:39:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5422604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spazzcat/pseuds/Spazzcat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The nickname spread, because there really wasn't any comparison that could be more accurate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Martian Cockroach

**Author's Note:**

> Original credit for calling the character stranded on Mars a cockroach goes to CaseyStar's The Man on the Wall. I felt like Watney deserved to be called it too.

In the end, it was one of the NASA interns who coined the term, after Mark Watney was already on his way home and whoever could be spared was put to work sorting through his logs to see what could be safely released to the still-rabid media hounds to keep them busy until the Hermes got back.

"He did _what_ with the RTG?!"

"What's the daily recommended dosage for Vicoden?"

"He filled...the HAB...with Hydrogen..."

Phrases like "Luckiest SOB ever born" and "Freak luck" had already been bandied about. Then one of the interns started to summarize their findings so far for Annie Montrose, before pausing partway in.

"Between the antenna on Sol 6, lack of food, filling the HAB with hydrogen, nearly blowing his face off and then nearly suffocating when he tried to get rid of said hydrogen..." Fingers were being ticked off one at a time "the RTG in general, the airlock detachment, the sandstorm, rolling the rovers on the entrance ramp to Schiaparelli, and the MAV launch...the number of times over Watney really ought to be dead is ridiculous. He's like a cockroach. A goddamn Martian cockroach."

Of course, Annie didn't use that term in her official report. But she did find herself using it in unofficial conversation. The description was too accurate.

The other interns must have used it too, because somehow, the phrase spread. The news reporters used it, calling him "Earth's favourite cockroach." The internet had a field day with it, from tags to photoedits to straight-up memes. At least three hit pop songs about Watney used the phrase.

It took approximately a month after the coining of the phrase before Annie, sitting at her desk having a morning coffee before having to deal with the press, was alerted to a new email by a chime from her computer.

To: AMontrose@pr.nasa.gov  
From: MWatney@Ares.nasa.gov  
 _Care to explain to me why my mother called me her 'darling cockroach' in her latest email?_


End file.
